I think this guy deserves a relevant creature type like rogue, assassin or even shaman could work.
Morgaledh
★☆☆☆☆ (1.8/5.0)(2 votes)
1. Gleancrawler on the field 2. Play Sadistic Hypnotist 3. Sadist sacs himself 4. Opponent discards two 5. End step, Sadist returns to your hand. 6. Rinse, repeat.
This will not win you friends, hey, an auto two card sac each round is efficient.
Werewolf-
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
It always pains me when they bring back oldies like this guy and people don't recognize them. It makes me feel old.
Here's your history lesson--the Hypnotist was first printed back in 2001, back during Odyssey block. A big theme in that block was the Cabal, a black-aligned organization led by the Cabal Patriarch and known for the gambling ring and pit fights it hosted (see Cabal Pit). People who worked for the cabal were called minions...like Cabal Inquisitor, Chainer, Dementia Master, Braids, Cabal Minion, and this guy.
His flavor text and creature type are both completely appropriate once you understand where he comes from.
Luther_Zenn
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Morgaledh Or you could just use Reassembling Skeleton like a normal black mage... <|:
Since when is paying 5 mana every turn just for discard 2 efficient? Especially when the entire thing relies on two unprotected creatures, Gleancrawler in particular being susceptible.
As Luther_Zenn said, Reassembling Skeleton is much more useful. And for G/B, the aforementioned Nath of the Gilt-Leaf is perfect.
Buderus
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Morgaledh: Why would you want to sac himself with Gleancrawler?... paying 5 Mana every round is too much, just sac your one dorp for the same effect.
Possible Gleancrawler Firstturndrop: Deathgreeter. Does not activate his ability, but works nicely with gleancrawler and 2 cards for 1 Mana if nothing better is out to sacrifice.
Will repost if i see better one drop for that kind of deck.
mdakw576
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
So in a properly designed deck that runs this, it's 5 mana for repeatable mind twist? Sounds fair.
SevesDariku
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I recently decided to swap him in for another card in my Savra, Queen of the Golgari deck, and boy does he work beautifully...
Of my sac engines in that deck (I have 8 of them, not counting ones that cost mana, tapping, or otherwise can't be done infinitely for free) most of them really just exist to enable sacrifices, and have a bonus as a nice extra, but this guy? The first time I played him, I sac'ed my entire field minus him and Savra, wiped all my opponent's creatures, and cleared all if their hands (I had to sacrifice about 8 creatures, but that's what that deck does best). I was greeted with a group-scoop at that point.
Comments (14)
The flavour text doesn't connect with the Golgari, because it quotes the pit-fighting story behind the Tempest/Odyssey block.
Would it have been hard to think of new flavour text? Maybe harder than I think.
2. Play Sadistic Hypnotist
3. Sadist sacs himself
4. Opponent discards two
5. End step, Sadist returns to your hand.
6. Rinse, repeat.
This will not win you friends, hey, an auto two card sac each round is efficient.
Here's your history lesson--the Hypnotist was first printed back in 2001, back during Odyssey block. A big theme in that block was the Cabal, a black-aligned organization led by the Cabal Patriarch and known for the gambling ring and pit fights it hosted (see Cabal Pit). People who worked for the cabal were called minions...like Cabal Inquisitor, Chainer, Dementia Master, Braids, Cabal Minion, and this guy.
His flavor text and creature type are both completely appropriate once you understand where he comes from.
Since when is paying 5 mana every turn just for discard 2 efficient? Especially when the entire thing relies on two unprotected creatures, Gleancrawler in particular being susceptible.
As Luther_Zenn said, Reassembling Skeleton is much more useful. And for G/B, the aforementioned Nath of the Gilt-Leaf is perfect.
Possible Gleancrawler Firstturndrop: Deathgreeter. Does not activate his ability, but works nicely with gleancrawler and 2 cards for 1 Mana if nothing better is out to sacrifice.
Will repost if i see better one drop for that kind of deck.
Of my sac engines in that deck (I have 8 of them, not counting ones that cost mana, tapping, or otherwise can't be done infinitely for free) most of them really just exist to enable sacrifices, and have a bonus as a nice extra, but this guy? The first time I played him, I sac'ed my entire field minus him and Savra, wiped all my opponent's creatures, and cleared all if their hands (I had to sacrifice about 8 creatures, but that's what that deck does best). I was greeted with a group-scoop at that point.
Oh good times